416–43

Conversation No. 416-43

Date: March 17, 1973
Time: 11:25 am-12:23 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

Uniform

Vietnam settlement
-Absent without leave [AWOL]
-Charges
-Elliot L. Richardson [?]
-Policy
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Performance
-Handling by networks, press corps

Gridiron Club
-Patriotism

Vietnam settlement
-Infiltration
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Laos
-Strikes against Ho Chi Minh trail
-Purpose
-Risks
-US withdrawal
-US purposes
-Withdrawal
-Duration of peace
-US strikes
-Prospects for damage
-Symbolism
-Soviet Union, People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Kissinger
-President’s message
 -48-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 416-43 (cont’d)


-Soviet Union’s position
-PRC
-Position
-North Vietnam
-Economic aid
-US options
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] assessment
-Infiltration
-Decline
-Bureaucratic attitudes
-CIA
-James R. Schlesinger
-Toughness
-Military intelligence services
-Military control
-Schlesinger
-Ruthlessness
-Richard M. Helms
-Softness
-North Vietnam’s motives
-Purpose of infiltration
-CIA
-Resumption of war
-Failure of past negotiations
-Pham Van Dong
-Economic aid
-Improved US-North Vietnam relations
-Lam Son
-Kissinger’s evaluation
-Dobrynin
-Brezhnev


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National security]
[Duration: 9s]

INTELLIGENCE
 -49-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 416-43 (cont’d)



END WITHRAWN ITEM NO. 1
******************************************************************************


-Resumption of war
-US-Soviet Union summit
-May 8, 1972 decision
-Brezhnev
-Assistance of Soviet Union
-Infiltration
-Decline
-US strikes
-Cease-fire violations
-Pretexts
-Kissinger
-Tactics
-December 1972 bombing
-Risks

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 11:25 am.

Haig’s duties at Pentagon

Cuba
-Fidel Castro
-CIA

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 12;28 pm.

Vietnam settlement
-Reports
-Accuracy
-Kissinger
-Attitude towards settlement
-Longevity
-Vietnamization
-Gen. Creighton W. Abram, Jr.’s and Melvin R. Laird’s optimism
-An Loc, Quang Tri
 -50-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 416-43 (cont’d)


-South Vietnamese chances of survival
-North Vietnam
-Effects of bombing
-Capabilities
-Offensive
-Soviet Union, PRC
-Relations with North Vietnam
-Kissinger
-Attitude toward settlement
-Preference for tough policies
-December 1972 bombing
-Recommendation
-Bombing
-Results
-POW release
-Domestic reaction
-Ho Chi Minh trail
-Hanoi
-POW release
-POW reaction to bombing
-Public reaction
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-POWs
-Risks
-Past risks
-Correct decisions
-William P. Rogers
-Paris
-Kissinger
-Halt of mine removal
-Halt of withdrawals
-Tough note
-Impact on North Vietnam
-Necessity
-Possible bombing
-Preparations
-Targets
-North Vietnam
-Military posture
 -51-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 416-43 (cont’d)


-Aircraft carriers
-POW release
-Impact on US public
-Impact on press critics
-North Vietnam provocations
-Public reactions
-Belief in “peace with honor”
-Press
-South Vietnam’s fate
-Fall to communists
-Timing
-Compared to China in 1940s
-Support for President
-Press
-Criticism of President
-Visits with Brezhnev and Chou En-lai
-Anticommunism
-Public attitudes
-POWs
-US public attitudes
-Political future of Vietnam
-North Vietnam
-Possible actions
-Kissinger
-Reaction to controversy
-Reaction to violations
-Bombing
-Tactics
-POW release
-Compromise
-Reaction to delay of POW release
-Soviet Union, PRC
-Assessment of violations
-Haig’s discussion with Abrams
-Intelligence estimates
-Judgments on North Vietnam
-North Vietnam’s possible actions
-US options
-Public attitudes
 -52-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 416-43 (cont’d)


-Violations
-Justification for retaliation
-Infiltration
-Compared to offensive
-Concerns
-Thieu
-Kissinger
-Southeast Asia
-US goodwill, credibility
-Cambodia [?]
-New York Times article
-Intelligence
-Quality
-May 8, 1972
-Assessment of North Vietnam


******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[National Security]
[Duration: 3m 1s]

INTELLIGENCE

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
******************************************************************************


Vietnam settlement
-Kissinger
-Attitude towards settlement
-Personal attachment
-Bureaucracy
-Soft-line position
-Vindication of hard-line policies
-Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW]
-Congress members
-Support for President
-Patriotism
 -53-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 416-43 (cont’d)


-POWs
-Credit for release
-Possible US strike
-US public support
-Resumption of war
-North Vietnam’s reaction
-POWs
-Bombing of Hanoi
-Kissinger [?]
-Abrams
-Judgment on South Vietnamese capabilities
-Kissinger
-South Vietnam
-Guns
-Tanks
-III Corps area
-Artillery positions
-Purpose
-Soviet Union, PRC
-Influence on North Vietnam
-Relations with US
-US-Soviet Union relations
-Brezhnev
-Summit
-PRC-Soviet Union relations
-SALT [Strategic Arms Limitation Talks] treaties
-Nuclear treaties
-Congressional relations
-Resolutions
-Unilateral force reduction
-Europe
-Arms
-Military base closure
-Impact on US foreign policy
-Impact on Vietnam settlement
-North Vietnam’s interpretation
-US action
-Cambodia, Laos
-US public attitudes
 -54-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 416-43 (cont’d)


-North Vietnam’s reaction
-Kissinger
-New intelligence reports
-Evaluation of situation

Henry Brandon’s book
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-William L. Safire
-Portrayal of President
-Kissinger’s press relations
-William P. Rogers, Melvin R. Laird
-Negative portrayal
-Sources
-Consequences


******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security]
[Duration: 20s]

GREAT BRITAIN

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
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Brandon
-Czech Jew
-Laird, Rogers
-Reactions to book
-Jack N. Anderson
-Sources of leaks
-Congress members

December 1972 bombing of North Vietnam
-Kissinger’s accusations against Haig
-Disloyalty
-Kissinger’s opposition
 -55-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 416-43 (cont’d)


-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-Joseph C. Kraft
-Conversation with Haig

The President talked with Rose Mary Woods at an unknown time between 11:25 am and 12:23
pm.

[Conversation No. 416-43A]

President’s meeting with William Warnock
-Ambassador from Ireland
-Timing
-Ambassador from Great Britain

White House social affairs
-Haldeman
-Music
-Young people
-White House staff
-Other functions
-Cabinet
-Rogers’s attendance at state dinners
-Kissinger
-George P. Shultz

[End of telephone conversation]

December 1972 bombing of North Vietnam
-Kissinger’s accusations against Haig
-Disloyalty
-Press relations
-President’s role
-Restraint
-Critical day

John A. Scali
-Press relations
-Skill
 -56-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 416-43 (cont’d)


Daniel Ellsberg
-Testimony
-Trial
-Kissinger
-[Unintelligible name]
-Bay of Pigs
-Testimony

Vietnam settlement
-Kissinger
-Handling
-Decision on US action
-POWs
-North Vietnam
-Possible aggression
-Reaction to bombing
-Intelligence assessments
-Violations of cease-fire
-Thieu’s charges

Meeting with Haig

Weather

Haig left at 12:23 pm.